Frosty Fun Times
by Iridescent Snowflake
Summary: How does the Guardian of Fun spend his days at Burgess? With plenty of fun and games, of course! Laughter and joy guaranteed.
1. Long Lasting Snowflakes

If only gifts of winter could last.

The delicate snowflakes shrivel up on contact with the ground, while the fern-like patterns of frost slowly fade away when the surroundings morph from cool to warm. It might be vain of him to think that way, but the Spirit of Winter himself wanted his creations to live a longer lifespan, have more people get wowed by their uniqueness and icy beauty. Three hundred years ago, he yearned for attention, so someone would know who was responsible for the free, exquisite little nothings. He still did, despite having been noticed and appreciated already. Old habits die hard.

Was there a limit to his crafting? He pondered, puzzled and obsessed over this question. It was the beginning of spring, and the spirits in charge were already working their magic, arousing life that had spent winter hibernating, and awakened the flowers, coaxing them to open up their glorious petals. No snowflake had any place during the dawn of spring. Winter, and Jack, were forced to get in line and wait for a few months more.

Jack despised the process of waiting. Of course, he could always go to the Antarctic where it's eternally cold and frosty, and play with the penguins instead of the kids for a change. Problem is, the fuzzy creatures' idea of fun was swimming in the unfrozen depths of the sea, searching for fish to fill their bellies.

He cruised around Burgess on the wind, now tinted with the scent of blooms and fresh rainwater. As always, he paused at the window of Jamie's room, checking to see how his little believer was doing.

Without the frost the obscure his vision, he could see through the glass quite clearly. There was his bed on the right, neatly made but for an abandoned green beanie lying on the covers. There was the drawing of him sailing through the air on his sled, with Jack just recently added in blue, white and brown crayons. There was his desk on the left, covered with stuff like corpses on a battlefield - markers, pens, loose leaf papers. The kid himself, though, was nowhere to be seen.

An idea struck Jack, and he pressed his nose on the windowpane, staring at the markers on the table, all mostly in different shades of blue. Cautiously, he opened the window and slipped inside soundlessly. He walked over to the desk, picking up a cerulean blue Sharpie that he thought matched his eyes.

It hit Jack that there was_ one_ way to create winter without disrupting spring…

-X-

Yes, he took five or six Sharpies, tubes of acrylic paint and felt-tip pens in different shades of blue from Jamie's desk.

Yes, he rummaged around some more, picking up a pair of scissors, some pearly-colored glitter (what was _glitter _doing in Jamie's room?) and other craft tools as an afterthought.

Yes, he took all those and flew to Santoff Claussen without Jamie's permission. Well, at least he left a note behind, promising to give them back soon. That would also teach Jamie to keep his desk clean next time.

Jack forced open a random window with a gust of chilly wind, somersaulting into the room and landing firmly on his feet. He dropped the bundle of blue, silver and white stuff to his feet, and glanced around the room he was in. The walls were painfully bare and stark white, the ceiling too high, the floor wide and paneled in dark wood. Perfect.

He sat cross-legged on the ground, setting his staff down before picking up some blunt scissors and patterned paper, getting to work straight away. He cut the paper into a square, snipping away slowly and warily. He tried to get used to handling scissors, for he never had cause to make handicrafts in the past three centuries. At first, the square didn't turn out the way he wanted it to be, so he cropped it again, and again, and again until it was nothing but a crooked trapezium barely the size of his nose.

"Ugh!" He ripped it apart in frustration. He dumped the scissors and the shredded remains of the paper, opting for a silver Sharpie and sandy-colored cardboard instead. He uncapped the marker and pressed the tip onto the slightly rough surface of the cardboard. He hesitated, and the ink spreaded into a small puddle by the time he lifted it up again. He tried making a straight line this time, but his hands shook ridiculously hard, resulting in a crooked line that looked more like a wavy strand of silver hair. He recalled at the last minute that he had forgotten to take a ruler with him.

Oh, this was so hard. It was easier making snowflakes and frost and icicles with his staff, where his natural powers combine with the magic of it, transforming the world into a winter wonderland. It was pathetic that he couldn't even draw the outline of the snowflakes he had been making for centuries.

Jack picked up his staff and held it a few inches above a piece of azure blue cardstock, forming the tiniest snowflake in the world. It floated slowly down, like a feather without the help of the breeze, then vanished as soon as it hit the card.

A sigh tumbled out of Jack's throat, just loud enough to reverberate through the large, unornamented space, the sound waves bouncing from one wall to another before eventually finding their way into a passing yeti's ear.

It was Phil, the gruff yeti who was actually just a huge marshmallow inside. He peeked into the doors. Both he and Jack did a double take upon seeing each other in the most unexpected place in Santoff Claussen imaginable. Jack rarely ever went to North's home, nor did he ever hide himself inside an abandoned room; Phil was supposed to be in the workshop, building dollhouses or stitching dresses or whatever it is he does.

Phil's yellow-green eyes homed in on the mess of art tools lying before Jack, and understanding brightened them almost instantaneously. He gently set himself down next to Jack, while Jack scooted over to make more space for Phil's massive body. When Phil settled down, he looked at Jack with his eyebrows raised so suddenly that Jack nearly jumped. He pointed to the bunch of winter-colored paints and papers, garbling something that sounded like "Warghyargedafo?"

Jack thought of shooting back some witty comment, like, "Do you speak a language other than grunt?" but he decided against it. It wasn't half as fun to have a verbal wrestling match with someone who you can't even understand. He settled on "No, I didn't take these from your workshop. As if I can get past you without getting caught in one of your winter spirit booby traps." He remembered the times when he tried to sneak into Santoff Clausen undetected over and over again, only to fall into Phil's state-of-the-art security traps which change from time to time. Most of the time though, he ended up dangling from the thirty-metre high ceiling of the hallway on one foot.

Phil widened his eyes further. Jack didn't need a translation to know that he was asking for elaboration. "I was just passing by Jamie's house, and noticed all these scattered all over the place. I had this idea… I don't know why I felt like doing it, I guess I was just… bored, with the arrival of spring and all. I couldn't just create a snowstorm like I used to do, or Bunny would pitch a fit," Jack said with an amused snort. He couldn't tell because of all the fur, but he thought that the ends of Phil's mouth rose just the tiniest bit.

"So, here I am, trying to make some snowcones out of paper and markers," Jack said with a weak laugh. He picked up the card with the silver squiggly line on it and showed it to Phil. "Well, I can't even draw a straight line, so I guess you can say that I'm not exactly a gifted artist." He realized the irony of that statement just in time when he remembered that he had been creating one-of-a-kind snowflakes and frost patterns that the humans admire so much. He hastily added, "With markers," and the thick eyebrows above Phil's eyes drooped back down.

Unexpectedly, Phil picked up the closest silver Sharpie and placed it in Jack's hand. Then, he took it in his own fuzzy, warm paw and guided it, drawing a perfect, symmetrical snowflake on paper.

Jack was surprised at the result. "Thanks," he said. He then looked up at Phil, mustering all his confidence, then asking, "Can you teach me more?"

-X-

In less than two hours, Phil and Jack created a haven full of snow and ice. Phil had taught Jack to draw frost, cut out snowflakes and make papier-mâché snowmen. He had also went out to get some paint for the walls and some wire to hang the snowflakes from the ceiling. Pretty soon, the entire room transformed from a barren space into a place where the frost will last for eternity and the snowmen are unmeltable.

Many other yetis didn't come in time to lend a hand, but when another yeti walking by the room caught sight of their amazing work, he rushed to tell the others. Pretty soon, the entire room was filled with yetis admiring the intricate frosty details of the room.

"_What_ are you all doing here?" a Russian voice boomed from outside the door, before it's owner made his way into the center of the wonderland. When his vision was removed of yetis crowding in front of him, North, the Guardian of Wonder himself, looked wonderstruck.

"Rimsy-korsakov," whispered North just under his breath. "This is just splendid, splendidly wonderful!" His voice returned to the usual one thousand decibels as he praised Jack and Phil for their talent.

When Jack asked what the room would be used for, North thought for a little while and replied: "Well, since you don't have a room of your own so far, why don't you take this one as your very own?"

The only word to describe Jack at that moment was overjoyed.

-X-

"Jamie, sparklies! Sparklies please!" Sophie's babyish voice rang across the hallway to his room, where Jamie was frantically searching for the papers he needed to finish his art project due the next day. He didn't have time to look for the glitter Sophie wanted, but he searched anyway. When he opened up the second drawer of his desk, a piece of paper floated out. He grabbed it, and scanned it, his brown eyes widening in disbelief at every word.

_Dear Jamie,_

_I don't have much to do, so I just borrowed most of your stuff to spend the day with. I'm feeling really artsy all of a sudden. Just a piece of advice, Jamie: Try keeping your desk tidy, okay? I'll return all this later today, I promise. Hope you enjoy springtime._

_P.S.: What is a tube of glitter doing in your room?_

It was signed with a small snowflake at the bottom right of the strip.

Jamie looked at the clock. It was 9:00 - in the evening. There was no way he'd get his stuff back and finish his project by bedtime.

"JACK!"

**A/N:**

**I like making paper snowflakes.**

**I really do.**

**I love Sharpies too.**

**I love making winter crafts so much I decorated my classroom with them and hung cardboard snowflakes from the ceilings too. I don't know how to make a papier-mâché snowman though. **

**Thanks for reading, please review, the usual blah blah blah. (I'm a little cranky today, sorry.)**


	2. How To Stop Some Baddies

Jack hid behind a car on the side of the road, trying to stay out of sight. He knew it was dumb, considering that he was hiding from two grown adults who could probably see him as well as they could see the wind, but this was a real problem.

Two masked men dressed entirely in black were trying to break into the Bennetts' property in the dead of the night.

Jamie and his family were vacationing at Hawaii at the moment. It was obvious from the fact that the Bennetts' blue sedan was not in the garage and the lack of the usual barks and yaps from Abby the greyhound. The house was probably going to stay that way for a couple of weeks during winter break.

Jack had been up to his usual shenanigans before he heard a loud crash, and a panicked "Keep it down, you clumsy moron!"

Naturally, Jack went to investigate, and that was when he found the mysterious men trying (one of them failing pathetically) to climb over the fence that surrounded the Bennetts' lawn. For some reason, Jack doubted they were going to leave a surprise welcome back present for the family.

Now, one of the intruders glared at the one who fell down, his dark brown eyes and fiercely scrunched up eyebrows standing out from his dark fabric-covered face. He was skinny and unnaturally tall, looking like he could be pushed over by the wind at any time.

"What are you trying to do, wake the whole town?" he hissed. His plump partner sat up, leaning on his elbows while wincing. He glanced to his left, noticing an upset trash can with ice-cream sticks and fruit fly covered banana peels spilling out like lava from a volcano.

"At least they're sleeping, Boss," he said guiltily. Bones - the name Jack gave to the lanky guy - glowered at him.

"No, they're hiding behind bushes and eating muffins - _of course they're sleeping!_ ," he whisper/yelled. He whacked him on the head for good measure.

Jack felt kind of sorry for the round guy who he dubbed Baldy (his head was shiny enough to be seen from space). But he was a crook all the same.

While Baldy got to his feet and attempted to tackle his greatest, worst enemy otherwise known as the fence, Jack snatched up a foul-smelling fish skeleton while pinching his nose with his other hand. It might come in handy later. Bones was so engrossed in watching Baldy suffer that he didn't even notice the skeleton floating in midair.

Once Baldy managed to get to the top of the fence, he wore a look of pure surprise on his face. "I made it!" he cried, as if that was the biggest achievement of the night so far. "I actually made it, Boss!"

Bones snorted. "Save the cheering for later. It's a miracle the fence can even hold your weight."

Well then, Jack thought, let's start the cheering now! He soared up to the fence, rested on his toes and looked over Baldy, who was still looking quite stunned. He wasn't very bright if he's still staying on the top of the fence, completely forgetting about the point of intruding.

Jack gave him a light push with his finger.

"Timber!" he said.

Baldy yelped, and tumbled onto the pile of rubbish next to the trash can he upset earlier.

Bones cursed. Baldy got up, looking dazed. "Wha- what just happened?"

"You lost your balance and a few brain cells from the fall, that's what happened." Bones pointed a finger at him, and raised an eyebrow. "You can't walk five steps without causing some kind of racket. You just stay here. I'm going in myself." With that, he positioned his hands on the fence and started to haul himself over.

Now would be a good time to use the fish skeleton. Jack tossed it onto Bones's face.

Bones sputtered, and dropped down to Baldy's feet. The look on his face was pure repulsiveness. Baldy towered over Bones with concern. "Boss?"

"_What was that for?!" _Bones yelled, forgetting his own rule. Baldy looked nervously around him, saying, "Um, Boss, I don't think we should…"

Bones lost it then, calling Baldy so many insulting yet hilarious names that Jack nearly fell over laughing. They tried to scale the fence again, but Jack was there to make sure they didn't. Again and again they tried, and again and again they fell on their backs, faces, or butts.

Finally Jack gave them a break. He let them climb over the fence undisturbed, but he wasn't finished with them. Oh no. The fun was just beginning.

"Gentlemen, let me introduce to you a game called Slip and Slide." As their feet left the manicured grass from the lawn onto the smooth concrete of the driveway, Jack covered the entire surface area of the floor with a glistening carpet of frost. Of course, the crooks started to skid and slide on the frictionless ground. Baldy's feet flew out from underneath him, and his head slammed onto the ice so hard a huge crack appeared and discontinued the smooth surface of the ice. Bones had the sense to quickly jump back onto the grass. His mouth hung open so wide that Jack was sure a hundred mosquitoes could enter his mouth at once.

"How - How - Ice… what?" he stammered, his eyelids lifting up to reveal his entire eyeballs.

"Ow… Boss, could use a little help here…" Baldy groaned, rubbing his head with one hand. Jack squatted in front of him, and winced when he saw a lump the size of a tennis ball beginning to emerge from his forehead.

"Shush, you bag, I'm thinking." Warily, Bones crawled across the ice on all fours.

"Oh, no you don't," Jack said, and hooked Bones's left arm and yanked. Bones instantly sprawled out on the ice, face down.

"Please, stop!" Bones wailed. "I just want to get some loot, okay? No big deal!"

No big deal? Jack snorted. He waved his hand in front of Bones, but his non-reacting response told him that he still didn't believe in him. He was just so desperate that he started to get a little delusional.

The door handle was just inches away from Bones now. He grabbed it, pulling himself up. He steadied himself first, holding on to the handle as if it were a lifeline. He then reached for a lock-picking set Jack hadn't noticed earlier.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, just what do you think you're doing, sir?" Jack lashed out with his staff and froze the padlock, metal body, shackle and all. Bones froze too, staying still and unmoving for so long that Jack wondered if he'd accidentally froze him too.

Bones lost control of his voice again. "_Why is this happening to me?!" _He stomped around like a whiny brat, completely forgetting about the ice. As he slipped yet again, Jack said nonchalantly, "Oh, 'cause someone's trying to ruin your day."

The sky was starting to turn a hazy shade of gray, and the stars glowed a little dimmer. The crooks had arrived at around 4 o' clock in the morning, but their unexpected playtime with Jack had delayed them by several hours. At any minute now, the regular old uncle would start to water his flowers, the middle-aged adult doing his morning jog. Bones grumbled, then crawled his way out of the makeshift ice rink, Baldy following behind his heels (literally).

"Going so soon, friends?" Jack casually swung his staff in a low arc, freezing… their feet.

Having his feet encased in solid ice blocks was more than enough for Bones. A clear, furious shout exploded from his throat, scaring away all the pigeons that perched on the electric wires. Yelps of "Where are my feet?! I can't feel them!" accompanied the scream.

Of course, curious neighbors started to emerge - opening windows, doors, on the road, all staring straight at the shouting, raging spectacle that was Bones and Baldy. From one window, Jack could see a lady with her hair in curlers dialed a number on her phone.

Then it happened. Bones looked up at Jack. He blinked and squinted, then seemed taken aback by what he saw. It took Jack a moment to realize that he was looking at _him._

"You!" he sputtered. "You caused this! Why, you miserable little worm! Who are you?!"

"You need to take some anger control classes, buddy," chuckled Jack. As he floated off his seat from the fence, he added, "Feel free to come back here anytime you like! There's more where all this" - he gestured to their feet, the padlock, the ice-covered ground- "came from!"

As Bones watched, stupidified, Jack rose into the sky, and blasted off, leaving a shower of snowflakes in his wake.

**A/N:**

**Woohoo, it's the holidays! An entire week off from school, and plenty of time to write. And rest and eat and sleep and procrastinating in schoolwork.**

**I hope I'm joking about the procrastinating part.**

**Anyways, hope you enjoyed reading! It was lots of fun writing this chapter. I'm getting inspired by Jack. I might want to be a prankster too. **


End file.
